South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1887-09-02
The Angel of the Crimea.

italy, little girl was born, daughter of
William Nightingale, rich land owner.
The little girl was named Florence, for
the city of her birth Most Of her time
she spent at her fathers home i'm Eng
land, where he instructed her carefully
In her studies. She grew up a we'll
educated girl, pretty and rich; but she
did not care to be a painter, or poetess.
or singer. All her thought seemed to
be how she might please and help those
about her who needed help or comfort.
She was fond of all the animals, and
so gentle, that they seemed to be equally
fond OF her. One day she found in the
cottage OF an old shepherd favorite
sheep-dog Cap, whose leg had been so
badly hurt by stone that his master
thought it was broken and he would
have to hang the poor creature to put
him out of pain. But Florence went to
see the dog, and found that the leg was
not broken, only very much bruised and
swollen. She found an old flannel petit
coat and tore it into strips; then wrung
them out in hot water and laid them ten
derly on poor Caps swollen leg. In a
few days he was well again and able to
tend his sheep
Sometimes Florence's family passed
season in London; and here. instead of
giving all her time to concerts and par
ties, she would visit hospitals and be-
nevolent institutions. When the family
travelled in Egypt she came across several
sick Arabs, and took care of them until
they were well. No doubt these poor
Arabs thought the English girl was a
saint sent down from heaven.
By-and-by she began to realize the
need of studying the business of taking
care OF the sick; just as one would study
medicine, or law, or any other profess
sion; and as her family travelled in italy
and France and Germany, she visited the
different asylums and hospitals, care
fully noting the treatment given in each.
Then she spent several months in a great
hospital on the Rhine, and took thor
ough course Of instruction, so that when
she came back to her home in England
she knew more about taking care of sick
people than most of the doctors. In
London there was a hospital for sick
governesses; but nobody seemed very
interested in these poor overworked
teachers, and the hospital was about to
fail for lack of means. But Florence
Nightingale took hold of the enterprise,
and gave her time ard money to it for
several years, until by her efforts it was
at last made prosperous.
Then came that war against Russia
which took place on the peninsula of
Crimea. England sent out shiploads of
men to the Black Sea to fight with Rus
STA; but in the hurry to get away very
little thought was taken to provide
proper food or clothing, and in the des-
olate country to which they went both
men and animals suffered. After the
hrst winter cholera broke out and in
one camp it was so terrible that twenty
men died in twenty-four hours. During
the stormy weather matters were worse.
water sometimes foot deep in the tents;
the trenches turned into dykes. and the
men obliged to wade in them twelve
hours at time without warm or water
proof clothing-and dying by hundreds
without help or care, save from their
comrades in misery the sick tended bv
the sick; the dying by the dying. Dur
ingonc fearful winter. with snow three
feet thick, many were frozen IN their
tents; and, out Of forty-fvo thousand
moro than eighteen thousand were re-
ported in the hospitals more Of the sick
than the wounded.
The English nation was aroused nj this
state of things. Money was ready. but
money was not everything. The secre
tary Of war knew that woman's hand
and woman's brain was needed Mt the
Crimea; but would rich. refined lady
herself in frail hcalth-lcave her home
and go thousands Of miles 10 live in
icNeTish hospitals where there were only
men, and care for the sick and diving,
At last the secretary Of war wrote to
Florence Nightingale: "Therc is only
ono person in England capable Of organ.
izing and directing such q plan. I have
this simple question 10 ask: Could Won
90 out yourself and take charge Of
everything You will have absolute an.
thority over all the nurses; unlimited
power to draw on the government; and
think may assure You Of tho cooper.
alton Of the medical staff. Your nc,
sCnal qualii es, your knowledge. an
your authority m administrative affair
all tit You for this position.
This was true II was a great work
&c he performed II needed a great